Collapsible egg carton set-up device



June 15, 1937. 2,084,152

D. LEVKOFF COLLAPSIBLE EGG CARTON SET-UP DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1956 1 u n I 1 imam m I n I .j if, V wi a. a WNW mlnnvii W M" k "H 5 4 23 f?? 5 -1 K 3 m 4 E (3 La Wm i um L 1'. HWH\\ W I Mm: BY ,U/ZZZZZMV. W ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 15, 1937 v UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE 2,084,152 COLLAPSIBLE EGG CARTON SET-UP DEVICE David Levkoff, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March '21, 1936, Serial No. 70,012

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in egg carton set up devices, and more particularly to such devices for the setting up of collapsible cellular egg cartons.

The main object of-the invention is similar to that set forth in my prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,032,759, granted March 3, 1936, namely to effect an inward folding of the pivoted cross partitions of a collapsible cellular egg carton to a 10 set up position and the interlocking of the cross partitions with the walls of the carton body by positioning the carton over the set up device and pressing the same into engagement therewith. In my pri'or patent above mentioned, it

was necessary for an operator to press downwardly upon the carton and simultaneously impart a shifting movement thereto to completethe set up operation.

In the improved construction of set up device herein set forth, the complete setting up of the carton is accomplished by a single downward movement of the carton over the set up device. By this improved construction, the setting up operation is expedited, and less manual labor is '25 required on the part of an operator.

Another feature of the invention resides in a cellular egg carton set up device in which separate cross partition engaging elements successively function to initially and finally move the cross partitions from their normally horizontal position to a vertical locked set up position.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a set up device for an egg carton of the type having a fixed longitudinal central partition and pivoted cross partitions wherein the outer edge of the longitudinal partition is caused to abut a stop portion on the device during a setting up operation to efiect a slight outward flexing of the bottom wall of the carton to permit of the 40 locking tongues on the cross partitions to enter their respective slots in the bottom wall of the carton body to avoid mutilation of the tongues caused by bending.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an egg carton set up device which will function to set up the irregular shaped and opposite swinging cross partitions of an egg carton of the construction set forth in my copending application Serial No. 59,807, filed January 20, 1936. This type of carton is of such construction that both of the end cross partitions swing inwardly of the carton body in reverse direction and the operation of the improved set up device is illustrated as setting up an egg carton of such type.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved egg carton set up device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating the initial position of an egg carton when applied to the set up device.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and illustrating the final set up position of the cross partition wall.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and showing in dotted lines the final position of the bottom wall relative to the locking tongues of the cross partition.

Although the carton set up device now to be described in detail may be'used for setting up other types of egg cartons constructed on the Levkoif principle by slight changes in design, the same has been primarily designed for setting up the particular construction of collapsible cushion bottom carton illustrated in my copendlng application above referred to, and a general description of this particular cellular carton will now be given in order that the construction of'the set up device to be hereinafter described may be more readily and clearly understood.

The cellular egg'carton above referred to and illustrated in Figures 3 to 5 inclusive is designated in its entirety by the letter A and when set up by positioning seven cross partitions at right angles to a central longitudinal partition, results in the formation of double rows of egg cells foraccommodating a dozen eggs. The egg carton A is cut,

.scored, and folded from a single blank of cardboard to provide a collapsible carton body having a front wall B, rear wall C, a preformed fixed double thickness central longitudinal partition D, inwardly converging bottom wall sections E-E extending respectively from the front and rear walls to the longitudinal partitionD to provide a cushion bottom when the carton is set up, a cover F hinged to the rear wall, identical end cross partitions G-G hinged to the front and rear walls for inward swinging movement in reverse directions, intermediate interlocking cross partitions H also hinged to the front and rear walls, and a pair of intermediate cross partitions I adjacent one of the end cross partitions, and unlike the interlocking cross partitions G and H, they are free of any interlocking engagement with the carton body. The cross partitions I are of less height than the other cross partitions and are free of the bottom wall of the carton body when they are swung to vertical set up position. All of the cross gitudinal partition is notched inwardly as at M to freely receive the unnotched mid-portions of the respective cross partitions when the body of the carton is spread open preparatory to the final setting up operation. Each notch M has a straight side wall N with which the unnotched mid-portions of the cross partitions flatly engage when moved to the limit of their movement to vertical set up position. The and cross partitions G' are provided with tonguesO at their opposite sides for reception in vertical slots P in the front and rear walls when said partitions are swung to vertical set up position. The final setting up operation occurs when the cross partitions are moved to a position perpendicular to the central longitudinal partition at which time the locking tongues K enter the slots L and the side tongues O of the end cross partitions enter the respective slots P. It is the function of swinging the respective cross partitions into their vertical set up position which is performed by the setting up device now to be described.

The egg carton set up device is designated in its entirety at l0 and may be constructed of any rigid material such as metal, wood, or like composition or material. The device Ill includes a rigid body of substantially inverted U-shape in side elevation to provide a pair of opposed legs and a horizontal platform I 2 supported by the top of said legs. The legs are shown separate from the platform but are fixedly secured thereto by providing inwardly extending ears l3 at the tops of the legs on which the ends of the platform l2 rests. Fastening bolts or screws |4 pass through the platform and the ears for securing these parts together. The lower ends of the legs II are provided with feet |4 having openings l6 therein for the passage of fastening screws and by which the device may be firmly held upon a supporting surface.

The platform l2 comprises a flat closed horizontal bottom wall l1 and upstanding parallel side flanges I8 and i9 at the respective front and rear sides thereof. Extending transversely of the platform and rising vertically from the bottom thereof and reading from left to right in the drawings are spaced cross partition engaging walls 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 for respective engagement with the seven cross partitions of the cellular egg carton A. All of the partition engaging walls are of the same height with the exception of the walls 24 and 25, which are of a less height than the others. The end walls 20 and 26 are each provided with a central notched portion 28 arid extending inwardly therefrom in spaced diverging relation are end partition engaging wing-like elements 29, which rise above the plane of the top of the end wall. The top edges of these elements 29 are rounded as at 3.0 and merge M9 posed on a plane even with the highest portion of the elements 29 and have their side edges rounded as at 32 for merging with the outer flat faces of the walls 24 and 28.

The walls 2|, 22, and 23 are identical, and each has a straight top edge 33 disposed on a plane even with the top edges of the end walls 20 and 26. The top outer corners of the cross walls are rounded and their respective side edges converge upwardly to conform to the shape of the front and rear walls of the carton A when the same is positioned upon the device as best seen in Figure 5 of the drawings.

Interposed between the walls 2|-22, 22-23, and 23-24, are sets of upstanding pins 34. The pins 34 are round in cross section and the sides converge upwardly and each set of pins 34 comprises a pair, the pins of each pair being respectively disposed at equal distances from the lon-- gitudinal center of the bottom walls l2 of the platform and being disposed in transverse alinement., This arrangement provides a double row' of pins which are arranged in longitudinal alinement with the inner ends of the wing like elements 29. The tops of the pins 34 terminate on an even plane with the tops of the webs 3| and with the highest portion of the wing elements 29, and all of these pins, webs, and elements,'serve to initially move the respective cross partitions of the carton inwardly during a setting up operation in a manner to be clearly explained hereinafter.

In practice, assume that it is desired to set up a collapsed egg carton of the kind shown at A, the carton being in a fiat collapsed position wherein the front, rear, bottom, and longitudinal partition walls all lie flat against each other, while the cross partition sections of each cross partition respectively lies flat against the opposite sides of the longitudinal partition. From this collapsed position, the operator spreads the front and rear walls B and C, while holding the carton in an inverted position, thus shaping the body of the carton for reception onto the set up device. This spreading of the front and rear walls causes the cross partitions to be unfolded on their respective unnotched fold portions so as to assume a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 3, while the unnotched portions of the cross partitions have entered the respective notches M provided in the longitudinal partition D, thus it is only necessary for the completion of the setting up operation to cause the cross partitions to be swung inwardly toward the bottom wall sections E. Therefore,by placing the inverted carton down upon the top of the set up device, while grasping the front and rear walls of the carton body, the end cross partitions GG respectively contact the tops of the wing elements 29, the cross partitions I-I engage the tops of the webs 3| while the cross partitions H respectively engage the tops of the pins 34. This stage of the operation is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. By pressing downwardly upon the carton body, the cross partition engaging elements just mentioned serve to push the respective cross partitions of the carton in wardly of the carton body, the end cross partitions GG riding over the curved surfaces 30 of the wing elements 29 during this downward movement of the carton. Also, during the downtermined distance, after which the cross walls serve to impart the final swinging movement to the cross partitions. The cross walls to 26 flatly contact the cross partitions over their entire width as will be seen byj'lgure 5 of the drawings.

During this downward movement of the carton when positioned upon the device, and just prior to the final movement of the cross partitions to their vertical position, the notched edge of the central longitudinal partition strikes the bottom wall I! of the platform as shown in Figure 5, the edges of the front and rear walls B and C resting upon the flanges I8 and i9 respectively. The abutment of the longitudinal partition with the bottom wall I! tends to fiex the bottom wall sections E-E of the carton body outwardly as shown in full lines in Figure 5, which outward flexing permits of the locking tongues K to freely move into alinement with their respective slots 'L. This outward flexing of the bottom wall prevents the locking tongues K from becoming bent during the infolding of the cross partitions. Just as soon as pressure upon the carton body is released by the operator, the bottom wall sections E-E return to their normal position shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, thus causing the tongues K to interlock in the slots L. During the inward swinging of the end cross partitions G, the side tongues 0 formed thereon enter the respective slots P in the front and rear walls, thus completing the setting up of the carton shown herein.

During the setting up of a carton provided with a cover such as shown in the drawings, the carton is applied to the set up device so that the cover F extends downwardly at the rear of the set up device.

Whereas I have illustrated a set up device which is designed to set up a carton wherein the end cross partitions of the carton fold inwardly of the carton body, it will be understood that by positioning the wing members 29 in the same direction instead of reverse directions and the substitution of pins 34 for the webs 3 l that the device would be capable of setting up a carton of the construction set forth in the Levkoif Reissue Patent No. 19,625 granted June 25, 1935. The feature of the set up device herein shown and described resides in elements which serve to initially move the cross partitions inwardly and separate elements which successively operate to com,- plete the inward folding of the cross partitions and effect interlocking of the same with the carton body. Therefore, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details of construction and design herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of the invention limited only by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United'States, is:-

1. A device for setting up collapsible cellular egg cartons of the type having a body, a central notched longitudinal partition, and normally substantially'horizontally disposed pivoted cross partitions comprising a stand, a single row of,spaced transversely disposed flat vertical cross partition engaging walls rising upwardly, from said stand, and a double row of cross partition engaging eleplane of the top edges of said partition engaging walls, said elements being arrangedin transverse pairs and the respective pairs being interposed between adjacent walls, whereby a cellular eggcarton with its body inverted may be manually applied to the device by a downward movement to cause said elements to initially swing said cross partitions inwardly of the carton body and into striking contact with said walls, and continued downward movement of the carton body will cause said wallsto. finally move the cross partitions to vertical set up position.

2. A device, for setting up collapsible cellular egg cartons of the type having a body provided with slots in the bottom thereof, a central notched longitudinal partition, and normally substantially horizontally disposed pivoted cross partitions provided with tongues for reception in slots provided in the bottom of said body; comprising a fiat platform, a single row of spaced transversely disposed flat vertical cross partition engaging walls rising upwardly from said platform, and a double row of cross partition engaging elements rising upwardly from said platform above the plane of the top edges of said walls, said elements being arranged in transverse pairs and the respective pairs being interposed between adjacent walls, whereby a cellular egg carton with its body inverted may be manually applied to the device by a downward movement to cause said elements to initially swing said cross partitions inwardly of the carton body and into striking contact with said walls, and continued downward movement of the carton body will cause said walls to finally move the cross partitions to a vertical set up position, the notched edge of said central longitudinal partition being engageable with the platform prior to the movement of the cross partitions to vertical set up position to arrest the downward movement of the central portion of the bottom of the carton body, and to flex the same outwardly to allow the tongues of the cross partitions to clear the bottom wall of the carton body and enter the slots therein for subsequent interlocking with the walls thereof.

, 3. A device for setting up collapsible cellular egg cartons of the type having a body provided with slots in the bottom thereof, a notched central longitudinal partition connected to the bottom wall and extending beyond the plane of the edges of the side walls of said body, and normally substantially horizontally disposed pivoted cross partitions with tongues for reception in the said slots; comprising sets of rigid upstanding cross partition engaging elements, the cross partition engaging elements of each set coacting to progressively move a single cross partition to set up position, whereby an egg carton with its body inverted may be manually brought down over the device to cause the sets of cross partition engaging elements to swing the cross partitions inwardly of the carton body to a vertical set up position, rest means for engagement by the side walls of the carton body and stop means below the plane of the rest means and in the path of and engageable by the outer edge of the notched central longitudinal partition for'arresting the downward movement of the central portion of the bottom wall of the carton body when the lat- -ments rising upwardly from said stand above the thereof.

4. A device for setting up collapsible cellular egg cartons of the type having a "body provided with slots in the bottom thereof, a notched central longitudinal partition connected to the bottom wall'and exending beyond the plane of the edges of the side walls of said body, and normally substantially horizontally disposed pivoted cross partitions with tongues for reception in said slots; comprising a flat elongated platform, upstanding flanges at opposite sides of the elongated platform, sets of rigid upstanding cross partition engaging elements rising from said platform, the cross partition engaging elements of each set coacting to progressively move a single cross partition to a set up position, whereby an egg carton with its body inverted may be manuallybrought down over the device to cause the sets of cross partition engaging elements to swing the respective cross partitions inwardly of the carton body to a vertical set up position, the downward movement of the carton being arrested by the side walls of thebody seating on said flanges and the central longitudinal partition forcibly contacting said platform for outwardly flexing the central portion of the bottom wall of the carton body to enable the tongues on the cross partition to clear the bottom wall during inward swinging movement of the cross partitions for entry of the tongues into the slots for subsequent interlocking with the walls thereof.

5. A collapsible egg carton set up device comprising a flat elongated platform, a plurality of spaced parallel walls rising upwardly from and disposed transversely of said platform, and a double longitudinal row of elements rising upwardly from said platform and respectively dis- X posed between adjacent walls and terminating on a plane above the same, said elements andtheir adJacent walls coacting to succeuively move the pivoted cross partitions of a collapsible egg carton from a substantially horizontal position to a predetermined distance, and secondary croa partition engaging means for completing the movement of the cross partitions to a final set up position.

7. A set up device for swinging the pivoted cross partitions of a collapsible egg carton from a partially collapsed position to a set up position comprising cross partition engaging means for initially moving the cross partitions inwardly a predetermined distance, and secondary cross partition engaging means for completing the movement of the cross partitions to a final set up position, and stop means engageable by the body of an egg carton for flexingthe bottom wall of a carton body outwardly during the functioning of the secondary cross partition engaging means.

DAVID LEVKOFI". 

